A campaigner for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) met the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough at Ely railway station today to discuss concerns that train ticket offices in the area and all of England may soon close.
Bernie Reddington, RNIB regional campaign officer for the East of England, is blind and was accompanied by RNIB campaigners when she met the Mayor, Dr Nik Johnson.
Their meeting comes just days after the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority voiced their "deep concerns" over the proposed scrapping of railway ticket offices on behalf of station users, especially vulnerable travellers.
While at Ely station, the Mayor wore sim specs (glasses which replicate loss of vision) while trying to use the ticket machines.
This allowed him to understand the experience of using ticket machines when blind or partially-sighted: "I can still see little bits, but without that clarity... I just can't do it," he said.
Bernie said: “The overwhelming view from the majority of blind and partially-sighted people is that closing ticket offices would put the brakes on people travelling, be it to get to work or to see their team play or just to meet friends.
“RNIB is standing behind this groundswell of opinion and vehemently opposes these proposed changes, which could lead to most ticket offices closing in England, as well as Glasgow Central.
“Closing rail ticket offices would have a severe impact on blind and partially sighted people’s ability to purchase tickets, arrange assistance, and travel by rail – and exacerbate the barriers that already exist to independent travel.
“This consultation – reported to have received a remarkable number of 690,000 responses, despite the complexity of engaging with it – closes today, but our campaigning won't stop.
“While we wait for the next steps on the consultation, expected in October, RNIB will keep continue speaking out to government and suggesting solutions.
“Although to some sighted customers, physical ticket offices could belong in the past, we need to challenge assumptions that everyone can use touchscreens and apps.
“As far as we are concerned, modernisation of the railways shouldn’t mean leaving anyone behind and inclusivity for all should be at the heart of any changes.”
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RNIB research found that only three per cent of blind and partially sighted respondents said they could use a ticket vending machine without problems.
Fifty-eight per cent said it was impossible, and 76 per cent said they would prefer to buy tickets from a person at a ticket office.
Eighty-eight per cent of blind and partially sighted respondents said it was important to have a fixed location at which to find staff.
RNIB research also highlighted accessibility problems with online ticket websites and apps, which immediately exclude many blind and partially sighted people when using smartphones.
With the number of people with sight loss increasing and by 2050 set to double to over four million people, RNIB is calling for all transport providers to work with the charity to create a transport infrastructure that works better for everyone, and that includes keeping ticket offices open.
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